Pocketknife



Jan; 13, 1942. H. w. MILLER 2,270,074

POCKETKNIFE Filed March 18, 1940 INVENTOR (l 26a. l Q; t ,35a ATTORNEY( Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims. (C

This invention relates generally to articles having handles, and more particularly to articles of hardware such as pocket knives.

An object of the invention is to provide a pocket knife or similar handled article, embodying means correlated with the handle thereof, which is easily detachable from the handle for use as bla-de sharpening element in one of its adaptations, and which, in its applied position on the handle, is securely locked in place without extraneous 'fastening means and in a manner not to detract from the appearance of the article or affect its usual dimensions, all to the end of providin-g an extremely -simple and inexpensive attachment which is instantly available whenever it is desired to sharpen a blade of the knife.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the above described character which can he readily applied to pocket or other knives as at present manufactured, with hut a x Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a pocket e knife embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the pocket knife in side elevation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and showing the attachment embdying this invention locked in place on the pocket knife;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 and showing the attachment released from the pocket knife;

Figures 5 and 6 are detail views in elevation showing the obverse and reverse sidesY of the attachment;

Figure 7 is a View in front elevation o'f a pocket knife embodying a modified form of the invention;

Figure 8 is a view showing the pocket knife of Figure 7 in side elevation. y

Referring specifically to the drawing, and particularly to Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, this embodiment of the invention is shown for the purpose of illustration applied to a conventional form of pocket knife having the usual frame F composed of scales or side plates I to the outer sides of which, holsters or end pieces II, Ila and I2, I2a are riveted or otherwise secured, with a spring spacer member I3 interposed and secured between the scales by suitable rivets I4.

A blade I is pivotally mounted between the scales on a pin I6 extending through the holsters f II, and has a suitable cam shaped hub portion I1 which co-acts with the free end I8 of the spring member I3 to yieldingly maintain the blade closed or open, all of which will be understood by those familiar with the art.

On one side of the knife, the inwardly recessed portion thereof defined by the respective scale I0 between the holsters IIa and I2a receives a filler piece of ivory, `wood or other suitable decorative material which is secured to the scale by rivets 2 I.

The recess 22 (Figure 4) between the other two holsters II and I2 on the opposite side of the knife commonly receives a ller piece, is adapted to removably receive a utility attachment A .embodying this invention and composed of a spring metal support 25 onopposite sides of which are secured a sharpening element 26 of abrasive material and a cover piece 21. The cover piece 21 is preferably of the same material as the ller piece 20, and the combined thicknesses of the support 25, element 26 and cover lpiece 21 are equal to the `thickness of the filler piece 20, so that the knife will have practically the same appearance from both sides thereof.

The support 25 is adapted to co-act with the holsters II and I2 in a manner to be detachahly secured in place between the holsters. For this purpose, the holsters have their confronting or inner end edges inwardly curved identically as indicated at 28 and 29, or of other non-rectilinear contour. These end edges are undercut or beveled to form retaining portionsor lips 30 and 3l, respectively.

4One end of the support 25has a lateral flange 32 covering one end of the element 26, and is voutwardly curved as indicated at 33 (Figures 5 and 6) complementarily to the edges 28 and 20. Adjacent its opposite end the support 25 is laterally offset at 34 to cover the opposite end of the element 26, and Afrom the offset 34 projects at an inclination laterally outward of the support, a resilient extension 35 the free edge of which is curved as indicated at 36 (Figures -5 and 6) complementary to the end edges 28 and 29 of the respective bolsters. A nail mark or notch 31 in the extension 36 constitutes a means by which the attachment A can be released from the knife in a manner to be described in the operation of the invention which is as follows.

The attachment is applied to the knife by first inserting the resilient extension 35 under the lip 30, following which finger pressure is applied upon the attachment adjacent its other end until the flange 32 snaps under the lip 3|, it being clear that in order for this mode of operation to be effected, the edges of the flange 32 and lips 3| co-act by a camming action, to longitudinally shift or slide the attachment in a directionv away from the lips 3|. As this motion of the attachment is being effected, the extension 35 flexes and rides upon the undercut or beveled surface of the lip 30.

The extension 34 will now be stressed sufficiently in a direction to react against the respective scale at a fulcrum pointl a, in Figures 3 and 4, so that the opposite end edge 33 of the iiange 32 will be urged against the undercut or beveled surface of the retaining lip 3|, thus rigidly securing the attachment against displacement from the knife.

In order to remove the attachment from the knife, it is only necessary that a finger nail be inserted in the notch 31 and force exerted upon the attachment longitudinally away from the lip 3| until the edge 33 of the fiange 32 is free of the lip, at which time the urging action of the extension 35 will cause the attachment to swing laterally about the fulcrum a to an inclined position clear of the lip as shown in Figure 4, for easy grasping in the hand, and use of the sharpening element 26 as desired.

In applying the attachment to the knife, either end of the attachment can co-act with'the lip 30 or 3|, and it will be clear that by virtue of the curved edges 28 and 29 of the lips, the attachment will be confined against lateral displacement from the bolsters.

Reference will now be had to Figures '7 and 8, which disclose a modified form of attachment A' which is identical in function to the attachment A and similar in construction thereto with the exception that a cover piece 21a co-acts with metallic end members 40 and 4| secured to such cover piece 27a, by rivets 42, to provide a support which is the equivalent of the support 25, a sharpening element 26a being suitably secured in the recess formed between the confronting edges of the end members 40 and 4|.

The end member 4|] has a free resilient extension 35a which functions in the similar manner as the extension 35. A finger nail receiving notch 31a is provided in the end member 40 for manipulation of the attachment in the same manner as previously described, so that further detailed explanation is unnecessary. The portion of the end member 40 which overlies the extension 35a acts to conceal the latter so as not to detract from the appearance of the knife. g

As the bolsters ||a and |2a are identical in construction to the bolsters and I2, respectively, the ller piece 20 is more rigidly secured in place by the undercut portions of the bolsters.

What is claimed is:

l. A knife of the class described comprising: a frame; end pieces on the frame co-acting therewith to deiine a recess between the end pieces; a filler piece received between said end pieces; said end pieces having retaining lips in confronting relationship; one end of said filler piece having a resilient portion engageable under stress with one of said lips when the other end of the filler piece engages the other lip so as to detachably secure the filler piece to the frame; and means by which the filler piece can be released from the frame by longitudinal shifting of the filler piece on the frame in a direction away from said other lip.

2. A knife of the class described comprising: a frame; end pieces on the frame co-acting therewith to define a recess between the end pieces; a filler piece received between said end f pieces; said end pieces having retaining lips in confronting relationship; one end of said filler piece having a resilient portion engageable under stress with one of said lips when the other end of the filler piece engages the other lip so as to detachably secure the filler piece to the frame; means by which the filler piece can be released from the frame by longitudinal shifting of the filler piece on the frame in a direction away from said other lip; and means defining a fulcrum on the filler piece about which the filler piece swings outwardly from the frame under the urging action of said resilient portion when the filler piece is released from said other lip.

3. A knife of the class described comprising: a frame; end pieces on the frame co-acting therewith to define a recess between the end pieces; a filler piece received between said end pieces; said end pieces having undercut edges in confronting relationship and of non-rectilinear contour; the ends of said filler piece being of a contour complementary to the contour of said edges, and one of said ends of the filler piece being resilient for engagement under stress with one of said edges when the other end of the iiller piece engages the other of said edges, so as to detachably secure the filler piece to the frame; and means by which the filler piece can be released from the frame by longitudinal shifting of the filler piece on the frame in a direction away from said other edge.

4. A knife of the class described comprising: a frame; end pieces on the frame co-acting therewith to define a recess between the end pieces; a filler piece received between said end pieces; said end pieces having undercut edges in confronting relationship and of' non-rectilinear contour; the ends of said filler piece being of a contour complementary to the contour of said edges, and one of said ends of the filler piece being resilient for engagement under stress with one of said edges when the other end of the filler piece engages the other of said edges so as to detachably secure the filler piece to the frame; means by which the filler piece can be released from the frame by longitudinal shifting of the filler piece on the frame in a direction away from said other edge; and means defining a fulcrum adjacent said resilient end of the filler piece, about which the latter swings outwardly from the frame under the urging action of said resilient portion when the filler piece is released from said other lip.

5. An article of the class described comprising: a handle having means defining spaced retaining portions in confronting relationship; a filler piece adapted to be received between said portions to form part of the handle; means on said portions and on opposite ends of said ller piece co-actable to detachably secure the filler piece to the handle; and means by which the filler piece can be released from the handle by longitudinal shifting of the filler piece on the handle until one end of the ller piece is free of the correlated retaining portion.

6. An article of the class described comprising: a handle having means dening spaced retaining portions in confronting relationship; a iiller piece adapted to be received between said portions to form part of the handle and having a resilient end portion engageable under stress with one of said retaining portions when the other end of the filler piece engages the other retaining portion, so as to detachably secure the ller piece to the handle; and means dening a fulcrum on the ller piece about which the latter swings outwardly from the handle under the urging action of said resilient portion when the other end of the ller piece is released from said other retaining portion by a longitudinal shifting of the filler piece away from said other retaining portion.

7. An article of the class described comprising: a handle having means dening undercut lips in spaced confronting relation and of non-rectilinear contour transversely of the frame; a filler piece adapted to be received between said lips to form part of the handle and having a resilient end portion engageable with one of said lips when the other end of the ller piece engages the other lip so as to detachably secure the filler piece on the handle; said resilient end portion including a fulcrum in co-action with the handle, about which the filler piece moves away from the handle when the other end of the ller piece is released from the other lip by a longitudinal shifting of the ller piece away from said other lip.

HERBERT WILLIAM MILLER. 

